The La Liga side took to Twitter to post the agreement, saying: "Principle transfer agreement with @Arsenal for Gabriel, who now depart before the game. Good luck!"

Gabriel has now pulled out of Villarreal's game against Levante tonight in order to complete his move to the Emirates Stadium, whilst Villarreal also confirmed the arrival of Gunners striker Joel Campbell.

The Costa Rican international has moved on loan for the rest of the season as part of the deal, having seen limited first team opportunities this season.

The tweet read: "Welcome Joel Campbell! Agreement reached with Arsenal for loan until end of the season."

It remains to be seen how much Arsenal are paying to sign Gabriel, but the Brazilian adds crucial depth in defence for Arsene Wenger, who has often been forced to use full backs in the heart of his defence after injuries to Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker.

Olly Dawes

Olly is a Sports Management graduate and aspiring journalist, with most of his work surrounding football or NFL. He has formed two of his own sites, as well as contributing to a number of others before starting with Here Is The City.